As a child of the 80s, you can’t not be a fan of Billy Idol. (that sneer!) He had a plethora of chart topping hits. So many hits. My favourites were Catch My Fall, Cradle of Love, LA Woman, and Sweet Sixteen.
And in my decades long of attending concerts, I never got to catch a Billy Idol performance, until his kick off tour in Vancouver with long-time guitarist Steve Stevens. I was hella excited that I scored a ticket to the concert.
However, in my blind excitement, I did not realize that it was an unplugged tour. Somehow I missed the “Turned On, Tuned In, and Unplugged” name. To be honest, I was a little bummed at the thought of an acoustic show. I thought this would like a traveling roadshow of his Vegas residency show – high energy, fist-pumping, screeching guitar, full band taking it to 11.
But I decided to give it a chance instead of selling my ticket and I’m glad I did. It was a little subdued for sure, but it was truly an intimate show. Idol performed stripped down versions of his hits, sharing the anecdotes behind them. He sang songs from groups that inspired him musically, like The Kinks, Eddy Cochran, and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. And he vamped a lot with Stevens and the audience.
It was funny and really endearing that he actually forgotten the words to Eyes without a Face, namely the first couple of lines of the second verse, “I spend so much time believing all the lies.” He even asked an audience member for help, but she was of no help either. A member of his crew had to come out with the lyrics on their smart phone for Idol. Chalk it up to kick-off night nerves!
Idol showed us his vulnerable side when he spoke about his late father and how long it took for him to accept Idol’s rock star life, which he did during his final years before his passing. Idol dedicated Ghost in My Guitar in honour of his father.
The show wasn’t what I was expecting but that’s not always a bad thing. It was fun, but in a different way. Even though it was an unplugged tour, Billy Idol’s charismatic charm and rock n’ roll powerhouse personality shone through.
I still want to see his actual rock show though! One day.
Here’s the Turned On, Tuned In, and Unplugged setlist:
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